...
EgyptSearch Forums Post New Topic  New Poll  Post A Reply
my profile | directory login | register | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» EgyptSearch Forums » Egyptology » Head wraps in ancient Egypt?

 - UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!    
Author Topic: Head wraps in ancient Egypt?
BrandonP
Member
Member # 3735

Icon 1 posted      Profile for BrandonP   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
People here may have seen this wall painting from a New Kingdom tomb, which depicts men winnowing grain.

 -

But has anyone here paid attention to the wraps of white cloth that the dudes have on their heads? To me, they look suspiciously like African-American do-rags, which are supposed to protect their hairstyles.

Other than these do-rags (and the various royal crowns, of course), I haven't seen too many images of Egyptians wearing cloth wraps around their heads. However, we know they were really into styling their hair (most especially braids and dreads). And since plenty of people across Africa and the African Diaspora wrap cloth around their heads to protect their hairstyles today, I would think the ancient Egyptians would have felt a similar impulse to protect their hair (or wigs) too.

So what are your guys' thoughts on this?

--------------------
Brought to you by Brandon S. Pilcher

My art thread on ES

And my books thread

Posts: 7173 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Askia_The_Great
Administrator
Member # 22000

Member Rated:
5
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Askia_The_Great     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
Interesting thread, but doubt it is similar to du-rags. Du-rags are not just to project hair but to maintain a hairstyle(for us males is maintaining our waves).

The headwraps the Egyptians are wearing seems to be mostly work related. Maybe so dust or other material don't get in their hair while they do their labor.

Posts: 1901 | From: NY | Registered: Sep 2014  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
BrandonP
Member
Member # 3735

Icon 1 posted      Profile for BrandonP   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Elite Diasporan:
Interesting thread, but doubt it is similar to du-rags. Du-rags are not just to project hair but to maintain a hairstyle(for us males is maintaining our waves).

The headwraps the Egyptians are wearing seems to be mostly work related. Maybe so dust or other material don't get in their hair while they do their labor.

Well, with all the Saharan sand and dust flying over the Nile Valley, I'm sure hair wraps would still come in handy for that.

--------------------
Brought to you by Brandon S. Pilcher

My art thread on ES

And my books thread

Posts: 7173 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Askia_The_Great
Administrator
Member # 22000

Member Rated:
5
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Askia_The_Great     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
^^Yeah, but I THINK the Egyptians did have "waves" due to using some type of animal fat. So who knows?
Posts: 1901 | From: NY | Registered: Sep 2014  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
BrandonP
Member
Member # 3735

Icon 1 posted      Profile for BrandonP   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Elite Diasporan:
^^Yeah, but I THINK the Egyptians did have "waves" due to using some type of animal fat. So who knows?

Like this dude, apparently?

 -

 -

--------------------
Brought to you by Brandon S. Pilcher

My art thread on ES

And my books thread

Posts: 7173 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Askia_The_Great
Administrator
Member # 22000

Member Rated:
5
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Askia_The_Great     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
^^^Yes.
Posts: 1901 | From: NY | Registered: Sep 2014  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
the questioner
Member
Member # 22195

Rate Member
Icon 1 posted      Profile for the questioner     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
 -

--------------------
Questions expose liars

Posts: 861 | From: usa | Registered: Apr 2015  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Clyde Winters
Member
Member # 10129

Rate Member
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Clyde Winters   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by the questioner:
 -

.
Nice!

--------------------
C. A. Winters

Posts: 13012 | From: Chicago | Registered: Jan 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Linda Fahr
Suspended
Member # 21979

Rate Member
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Linda Fahr   Author's Homepage         Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
I think they wore head wrap, to protect their hair from the grain dust.

--------------------
---lnnnnn*

Posts: 198 | From: USA | Registered: Aug 2014  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Djehuti
Member
Member # 6698

Rate Member
Icon 3 posted      Profile for Djehuti     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by the questioner:
 -

As discussed before, the Egyptians used animal fat and butter products as hair gel along with head wraps to achieve the look. Speaking of which...

quote:
Originally posted by Tyrannohotep:

People here may have seen this wall painting from a New Kingdom tomb, which depicts men winnowing grain.

 -

But has anyone here paid attention to the wraps of white cloth that the dudes have on their heads? To me, they look suspiciously like African-American do-rags, which are supposed to protect their hairstyles.

Other than these do-rags (and the various royal crowns, of course), I haven't seen too many images of Egyptians wearing cloth wraps around their heads. However, we know they were really into styling their hair (most especially braids and dreads). And since plenty of people across Africa and the African Diaspora wrap cloth around their heads to protect their hairstyles today, I would think the ancient Egyptians would have felt a similar impulse to protect their hair (or wigs) too.

So what are your guys' thoughts on this?

The white headcloth pictured above is known as a khat and is a unisex headcloth worn by people of both sexes and of all classes. The khat is generally white in color though it can be dyed differnt colors as well.

https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/polychrome-wall-painting-tomb-of-ramose-theban-necropolis-luxor-egypt-picture-id171310281

I remember reading a source some years back that the Egyptians had a custom wherein persons especially women when going out in public either had to have their hair braided, tied, or fashioned in someway or else covered by cloth. Uncovered hair that wasn't braided or fashioned was either a sign of mourning, toiling/labor, or simply being sloven. As I understand it, this same custom is practiced in many parts of Africa which is why people either have their hair braided or fashioned if not covered by hats or headwraps.

I also remember seeing a source that traditional Somali headwraps bear a good resemblance to the Egyptian khat.

 -

 -

--------------------
Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan.

Posts: 26413 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

Quick Reply
Message:

HTML is not enabled.
UBB Code™ is enabled.

Instant Graemlins
   


Post New Topic  New Poll  Post A Reply Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | EgyptSearch!

(c) 2015 EgyptSearch.com

Powered by UBB.classic™ 6.7.3